Motor Chattering

[WebDog]

I can not figure out why my motor is "chattering." When I have it on
the ground, it just jerks around on the ground occasionally getting a
burst of speed. At full throttle it works fine. I've tried two
different batteries, motors, crystals, and speed controls. The problem
doesn't go away. :( I have stand up brushes. Could I have put them in
upside down? I put braided wire on top and spring on the bottom towards
the motor can.

Thanks,

WebDog

[Rick Russell]

In article <3E825B2F.4080109@austin.rr.com>,
WebDog <webdog@austin.rr.com> wrote:
> I can not figure out why my motor is "chattering." When I have it on
> the ground, it just jerks around on the ground occasionally getting a
> burst of speed. At full throttle it works fine. I've tried two

First off, make sure that the car's drivetrain is working
properly. It's possible that the motor is running normally, but that
the transmission has broken gears or something like that.

If you've confirmed that the motor really isn't running properly, then
you can check several things:

-- Check all wiring; look for bad solder joints or crimped
wires. Replace wires and re-solder as necessary.

-- Check battery and motor plugs; make sure connectors have full
contact and that they are clean and free of corrosion. Replace with
high quality connectors if required.

-- Check motor armature; make sure there are no rocks or debris in
the motor, that the armature spins freely, and that the bearings or
bushings are properly lubricated and work without any hangups.

-- Check motor brushes and commutator. Clean the brush hoods, make
sure brushes are making smooth contact with the hoods and commutator
(most of the electricity for the brushes actually goes through the
brush hoods directly to the brushes, not the brush shunt). Make sure
the commutator doesn't have any raised edges or other problems that
cause it to "hang" on the brushes. Make sure the brushes are long
enough that the brush springs are not bottomed out.

-- If you do all this and you still have intermittent motor
performance, then it must be a speed control or radio problem.

Rick R.

[WebDog]

I (hopefully) figured out what was wrong. It was still attached but the
antenna spun freely around even thou it was still attached. My
transmitter had a loose antenna. I opened it up and put the antenna
where it should go and tightened down the nut. Now the antenna feels
solid and the car runs great. It threw me off because the bug was
reproducible and consistent. :)

Rick Russell wrote:
> In article <3E825B2F.4080109@austin.rr.com>,
> WebDog <webdog@austin.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>I can not figure out why my motor is "chattering." When I have it on
>>the ground, it just jerks around on the ground occasionally getting a
>>burst of speed. At full throttle it works fine. I've tried two
>
>
> First off, make sure that the car's drivetrain is working
> properly. It's possible that the motor is running normally, but that
> the transmission has broken gears or something like that.
>
> If you've confirmed that the motor really isn't running properly, then
> you can check several things:
>
> -- Check all wiring; look for bad solder joints or crimped
> wires. Replace wires and re-solder as necessary.
>
> -- Check battery and motor plugs; make sure connectors have full
> contact and that they are clean and free of corrosion. Replace with
> high quality connectors if required.
>
> -- Check motor armature; make sure there are no rocks or debris in
> the motor, that the armature spins freely, and that the bearings or
> bushings are properly lubricated and work without any hangups.
>
> -- Check motor brushes and commutator. Clean the brush hoods, make
> sure brushes are making smooth contact with the hoods and commutator
> (most of the electricity for the brushes actually goes through the
> brush hoods directly to the brushes, not the brush shunt). Make sure
> the commutator doesn't have any raised edges or other problems that
> cause it to "hang" on the brushes. Make sure the brushes are long
> enough that the brush springs are not bottomed out.
>
> -- If you do all this and you still have intermittent motor
> performance, then it must be a speed control or radio problem.
>
> Rick R.
>
>
>
>